Porte du non-retour - Ouidah
Porte du non-retour - Ouidah

Youth.Heritage.Africa. is a new ICCROM long-term regional initiative. The goal is to create economic value, invest in social and human capital, and foster innovation and creativity within the heritage sector in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals 2030 and the aspirations of the African Union’s Agenda 2063.

There is good reason to focus on African youth. Africa is home to the world’s youngest and fastest-growing population; those between the ages of 14 and 35 years constitute over 40%. They are also the most affected by unemployment and poverty. At the same time, the context is evolving fast: there is a growing network of African universities, of active civil society, and of vibrant tech ecosystems around the continent. Africa’s youth combined with its rich heritage hold a great potential for social and economic development.

Building upon the experience and know-how of the African World Heritage Fund, the École du Patrimoine African and other African institutional partners, the new ICCROM programme will have the following objectives:

  • Engage Africa's youth in caring for heritage – its conservation, resilience, management and promotion.
  • Mainstream sustainable entrepreneurship opportunities within the heritage sector.
  • Develop sustainable, resilient and innovative use of heritage for education, development and peace.

In the next 3 years, we will engage youth through:

  • The creation of six pilot “heritage hubs” that will bring them together around heritage activities and heritage assets.  
  • A yearly Africa-wide Youth & Heritage Competition to discover talent and support them technically and financially so they can build their business.  
  • Leadership in heritage management and entrepreneurship training in order to strengthen current and future heritage institutions.

At the global level, ICCROM and its partners will strive to raise the profile of heritage, especially among politicians and high-level decision makers.

By 2022, we expect that over 1500 young Africans will have been involved in the programme, supported by an active network of heritage institutions across the continent.

Featured

RE-ORG Madagascar - Malagasy museum
26 Jun 2019

RE-ORG Madagascar

The two-week training workshop was part of the project "Preventive conservation and enhancement of the collections of the Manjakamiadana Palace at the Palace of Andafiavaratra" conducted by UNESCO at the request of the Ministry of Communication and Culture of Madagascar and funded by a generous contribution from the Government of Japan.

Workshops on Education and Museum Management, Western Sudan
14 May 2019

Workshops on Education and Museum Management, Western Sudan

From 10 February to 21 February 2019, ICCROM-Sharjah and its project partners conducted two workshops on Education and Museum Management in Khartoum for the National Corporation for Antiquities and Museums (NCAM) in Sudan, funded by the British Council’s Cultural Protection Fund in partnership with the Department for Digital, Culture Media and Sport.

Community Museums in Western Sudan: Workshops
30 Apr 2019

Community Museums in Western Sudan: Workshops

As part of the “Community Museums of Western Sudan” conservation and rehabilitation project for museums in Omdurman, El Obeid and Nyala, ICCROM has conducted a series of workshops entitled “Enhancing the Social and Cultural Role of Community Museums.” The project “Community Museums of Western Sudan” is funded by the British Council's Cultural Protection Fund, in partnership with the Department for...

In September 2018, Alain Godonou, a long-time ICCROM collaborator, was appointed Director of the Museums Programme of the Agence Nationale de promotion des Patrimoines et du Tourisme (ANPT) of Benin. This position is attached to the Presidency of the Republic.
02 Apr 2019

Alain Godonou made Director of Museums of Benin national heritage agency

In September 2018, Alain Godonou, a long-time ICCROM collaborator, was appointed Director of the Museums Programme of the Agence Nationale de promotion des Patrimoines et du Tourisme (ANPT) of Benin. This position is attached to the Presidency of the Republic.

How can we involve African youth in heritage? - Expert Meeting, Egyptian Academy in Rome
16 Jan 2019

How can we involve African youth in heritage?

Fifteen professionals from 15 institutions met to discuss how best to design an impactful programme to support youth and its engagement in heritage in the African region. The Africa Expert Meeting took inspiration from the United Nation’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and particularly from the development goals for sustainable cities and communities, gender equality, decent work and...

Conferenza Italia - Africa
02 Nov 2018

Italy Africa conference of the Farnesina - #ItaliAfrica

On 25 October, the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, also known as the Farnesina, held a conference on the cooperation between Italy and Africa. This was the second in a series of conferences on this topic organized by the Farnesina, the first of which was held in 2016.

Victoria Falls bridging People, Nature & Culture
31 Aug 2018

Victoria Falls bridging People, Nature & Culture

In the magnificent setting of the Victoria Falls/ Mosi-oa-Tunya transboundary World Heritage Site shared by Zambia and Zimbabwe, 20 participants from 16 different African countries explored the challenge of putting people back into the centre of conservation. The People-Nature-Culture (PNC) course provides conservation practitioners with the necessary knowledge and tools to work more effectively...

SOIMA survey for collection assessment
20 Jun 2018

SOIMA survey for collection assessment

According to a 2015 study carried out by Cisco, by 2019 over 80% of global Internet consumption will be video content. These steadily increasing sounds and images have permeated every sphere of our contemporary lives.

RE-ORG Madagascar
10 Apr 2018

RE-ORG Madagascar

The royal collections of Madagascar are back in the spotlight, thanks to a preventive conservation project financed by the Government of Japan. Eighty percent of Madagascar’s royal palace collections were destroyed by a devastating fire at the Rova of Antananarivo museum complex in 1995.

Webber Ndoro
04 Dec 2017

ICCROM’s New Director-General – Webber Ndoro

Dr Webber Ndoro has been confirmed by ICCROM’s 30th General Assembly as the new Director-General, to lead ICCROM over the next six years. Ndoro completed a BA in History at the University of Zimbabwe in 1982, a Master of Philosophy in Archaeology in 1987 from Cambridge University, and a Master in Architectural Conservation from York University. His formal education was completed at Uppsala...